Improvement in supports for the tongues of vehicles



H. SPRAGUE.

Improvement in Supports for the Tongues ofVehicles N0. 127,522.Patentedlune 4, 1 872.

} i l Z4 E PATENT Orrron.

HARVEY SPRAGUE, OF MABOELLUS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPORTS FOR THE TONGUES OF VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,522, dated June 4,1872.

Specification describing certain Improvements in Wagon-Tongue Supports,invented by HARVEY SPRAGUE, of Marcellus, in the county of Onondaga andState of New York.

My invention relates to improvements in wagon tongue supports; andconsists of a spring provided with a wooden or other strengthening bar;one end of the said bar passing under and bearing against the frontaxle, and being rendered adjustable by a bolt and nut, and the other endbeing provided with a slot adapted to a lug orscrew upon the tongue, allof which will be fully hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents a sectional view of part of a wagon and tongue withmy improved support attachment thereto Fig. 2, a bottom view of theimproved supporting-spring.

In the drawing. h h are the ordinary hounds or futchels, and P thetongue of the wagon. A is the tongue-supporting spring, composed of oneor more leaves, I l, which is provided with a wooden or otherstrengthening-bar, w, which gives the requisite strength andrigidity tothe spring. One end of this spring passes under and bears against thefront axle of the wagon, and is retained in its proper position by abolt, B, passing through the end of the attachment and through thetongue 1?, ,the

bolt B being held in place by a nut, d,- and the alent. By means, ofthis arrangement the spring is allowed a free play in both directions.

It will be seen that the improved supporting attachment is securedentirely to the tongue, and thus permits the latter to be turned backover the front of the wagon, with the spring attached; but the forwardend of the tongue cannot fall low enough to drag on the horses onaccount of the rear end of the spring bearing against the front axle ofthe wagon, as described.

The tongue can be raised or lowered as much as desirable and necessaryby means of the bolt and nut B d.

I do not claim aspring for supportinga wagon-tongue one end of which isattached to the tongue and the other to the hounds, for such is not new;but

I claim as my invention- The spring A, with or without thestrengthening-bar w attached directly to the tongue, and having play ateach end, one end of the spring projected back beneath the front axle,and adjusted by the bolt B, the spring permitting the tongue to beturned up against the front of the wagon, and all combined andconstructed substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HARVEY SPRAGUE.

Witnesses present:

G. W. SMITH, W. J. MIX.

